Textiles like polyester, acrylic, and nylon are the main source of microplastics, resulting in 34.8% of international microplastic pollution. Consequently, Microfibres enter our sewage and are unable to be fully extracted by wastewater treatments and thus wind up in our oceans, killing fish, destroying ecosystems, food chains, and livelihoods.
Sustainability is critical to the survival of the human race. Increasingly, consumers are attempting to lower their effect on the earth and, as a result, an expanding amount of sustainable fashion brands are emerging to meet the need for ethical and sustainable fashion.
The health of our oceans is a growing concern as drinkable water scarcity is increasing. Sustainable fashion brands embark to transform the fashion industry for the world’s wellbeing. But what constitutes a sustainable brand? And which sustainable clothing brands should you look out for?
What is Sustainable Fashion?
Sustainable fashion is a movement towards ensuring ecological preservation and transparency throughout the fashion industry. Sustainability concerns clothing, shoes, and accessories that can be produced, promoted, and used in the greenest approach achievable, considering both conservational and socio-economic properties.
Practically this requires endless work to advance all phases of the product’s creation. The objective is to reduce any detrimental consequences to the environment by guaranteeing reasonable use of natural resources.
3 Stylish & Sustainable UK Based Brands:
Mother of Pearl
Mother of Pearl is an environmentally conscious and ethical designer clothing and accessories brand based in the UK that promotes originality and transparency. Overall, the brand uses a high percentage of eco-friendly resources including organic cotton.
Also, Mother of Pearl prioritizes a fair living wage throughout its supply chain. Sizes range from 6 to 16. The brand sells luxury items for luxury prices and prioritizes high-quality control for all products.
The brand reduces its carbon footprint from transport. It cuts its water wastage by using waterless digital printing technology. Mother of Pearl commits to paying a living wage in its stores but does not detail specifics.
The brand does use leather, exotic animal hair, and silk. Although, it states that it sources wool from non-mulesed sheep. It does not use fur, angora, or any exotic animal skin. Overall, this brand is ethical but could be more sustainable in places.
People Tree
Safia Minney founded People Tree and pushes for transparency and accountability in her company. People Tree’s motto has been “Truly conscious clothing” since 1991. People Tree creates and curates with the utmost ethical and ecological standards.
Moreover, the brand offers modern, chic, and exclusive styles that are ethical for the planet and affordable for people. Ensembles contain organic cotton, TENCEL™ Lyocell, and ethical wool. People Tree is the first fashion company to be awarded the World Fair Trade Organisation Product label.
Organic cotton farming preserves waterways and ensures drinking water is safe and sanitary. The impact organic cotton has on ocean pollution has been shown to be 98% less negative than non-organic cotton production. Safia Minney pushes for transparency, all the company’s ethical certificates can be found on their website.
Alighieri
Rosh Mahtani studied French and Italian at Oxford University. Mahtani graduated in 2012 and decided to design contemporary heirlooms inspired by the literature she had studied: Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy”. Alighieri has an assortment of jewelry kindled by Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy”, with each accessory relating to one of the poet’s 100 poems.
Currently, the brand uses an impressive proportion of eco-friendly recycled materials while assessing its suppliers frequently. Indeed art lovers will adore this sustainable and innovative jewelry brand, for the jewelers’ attention to intricate details and avant-garde designs. Alighieri scrutinizes waste during the manufacturing process. Similarly, cut-offs from Alighieri castings go back into the raw materials mix and are used the following day by Alighieri talisman.
Bonus Malawi Brand!
Mayamiko
Started by Paola Masperi, Mayamiko is a reliable womenswear brand. Affectionately built by women who are the centre of her social enterprise. Masperi designs for every season, driven by inclusivity and local artisans in Malawi. The brand uses traditional and sustainable African methods for making fabric.
Beyond fashion, Masperi strives for more than just sustainability, above that, they push for fair trade and “no discrimination, free meals and a pension scheme” along with other promises to staff.
Mayamiko is a pioneer in ethical clothing, their designs are distinctive and striking fair trade fashion. PETA 100% supports Paola Masperi’s brand. The Mayamiko Trust is an aid organisation that works in communities to reskill underprivileged women.
Truly the brand shines a light on affordable classy clothing. In fact, the Tondo Earrings made from wood and translating to ‘forest’ in Tumbuka, the language of Northern Malawi is my favourite piece. Mayamiko appears in Vogue, The Guardian, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and The Telegraph.
The importance of preserving our ocean and overall environment is paramount, without change whole communities and landscapes will be irreversibly impacted, plastic is enduring, our earth and planet is not. So, let’s look after it.